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CHRISTIAN WORSHIP
Trappist praying
According to the BBC: Christian worship involves praising God in music and speech, readings from scripture, prayers of various sorts, a sermon, and various holy ceremonies (often called sacraments) such as the Eucharist. While worship is often thought of only as services in which Christians come together in a group, individual Christians can worship God on their own, and in any place. [Source: June 23, 2009 BBC |::|]
“Different churches, even within the same denomination, will use very different styles of worship. Some will be elaborate, with a choir singing difficult music, others will hand the music over to the congregation, who sing simpler hymns or worship songs. Some churches leave much of the action to the minister, while others encourage great congregational participation. (Of course all churches encourage the full participation of the congregation in praising God with heart, mind, and soul, but some churches give the congregation more physical participation.) |::|
The main forms of Christian worship are the sacraments: name baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist and confession (See Sacraments Below). Other Christian rituals include 1) divine healing (through prayer); 2) pilgrimages to holy sites; 3) exorcism (the casting out of demons); 4) the practice of making vows or offerings to God, Jesus, Mary, or a saint in the hope of a blessing to be given or in response to a blessing received; and 5) practices connected with saint's days and the Virgin Mary. These vary from region to region in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions. [Source: Michael J. McClymond, “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices”, 2000s, Encyclopedia.com]
See Separate Article: CHRISTIAN SACRAMENTS: DEFINITIONS, HISTORY, DEVELOPMENT europe.factsanddetails.com
Websites and Resources on Christianity BBC on Christianity bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity ; Candida Moss at the Daily Beast Daily Beast Christian Answers christiananswers.net ; Christian Classics Ethereal Library www.ccel.org ; Sacred Texts website sacred-texts.com ; Internet Sourcebook sourcebooks.fordham.edu ; Christian Denominations: Holy See w2.vatican.va ; Catholic Online catholic.org ; Catholic Encyclopedia newadvent.org ; World Council of Churches, main world body for mainline Protestant churches oikoumene.org ; Online Orthodox Catechism published by the Russian Orthodox Church orthodoxeurope.org
Development of Christian Worship
Forms of worship for Christians were established in the early days of the Church. At first some many of these forms were borrowed from Judaism. Prayers were said, together with the singing of psalms (biblical hymns). The scriptures that were read were mostly from the Old Testament at first and later from Paul's letters. As Christianity developed the Gospels were written and added to service along with other writings found in the New Testament. [Source: Encyclopedia.com]
According to the BBC: Christian worship grew out of Jewish worship. Jesus Christ was a religious Jew who attended the synagogue and celebrated Jewish festivals, and his disciples were familiar with Jewish ritual and tradition. The first obvious divergence from Judaism was making Sunday the holy day instead of Saturday. [Source: June 23, 2009 BBC |::|]
Christian Worship services were held on Sunday because that was considered the day of Jesus's Resurrection — the day that Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus's promise to stay with his followers, fulfilled in the sending of the Holy Spirit, illuminated the development of Christian worship from early times. So Christians regard worship as something that they don't only do for God, but that God, through Jesus's example and the presence of the Holy Spirit is also at work in.
The two main two main sacraments that were recognized were: baptism and the Eucharist or Holy Communion, a reenactment of the Last Supper, when Jesus and his disciples shared bread and wine on the night before his Crucifixion. At one time this Lord's Supper was a `community dinner after which the faithful received symbolic bread and wine.
Church Services
Christian services are held in churches and cathedrals. These buildings often also serve as community centers. Sunday school classes are often held for children to teach them basic church doctrine often in the form of easy-to-digest stories. No special clothing needs to be worn for services, though the faithful usually dress formally — in the past described as their Sunday best.
Church services are usually held on a Sunday. According to the BBC: They are divided "into two general types: Eucharistic services and services of the Word. Both types of service will include hymns, readings and prayers. The Eucharistic service will be focussed on the act of Holy Communion. The service of the Word does not include this rite, but instead features a much longer sermon, in which the preacher will speak at length to expound a biblical text and bring out its relevance to those present. [Source: June 23, 2009 BBC |::|]
Members of the congregation sometimes sit in pews, or rows of benches. They typically stand at various times during the religious service, such as when hymns are sung, or kneel with their hands held in front of them to pray. The central ritual is the Eucharist, or Communion, in which the consecrated bread and wine are swallowed by worshipers. It is a re-enactment of the Last Supper and the meal Jesus had with his followers after the resurrection. Worshipers typically kneel when taking Communion but practices vary greatly according to denomination. [Source: Encyclopedia.com]
A large part of the service in most denominations of Christianity is a sermon or homily. This is typically a lecture by the priest or clergyman about some aspect of the Bible or perhaps a topic of current social interest viewed in context with Christian teaching. In some denominations, laypersons are encouraged to speak, while in others, only the official clergy or priests conduct services. Music is often a part of services, with choirs and organ accompaniment. [Source: Encyclopedia.com]
According to Encyclopedia.com: In the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Anglican Church the reenactment of the Last Supper is the central part of the worship service. Catholics call this celebration the Eucharist or Mass. In the orthodox tradition it is called the Divine Liturgy (liturgy is a public act of worship). For Anglicans it is the Holy Eucharist. In all three traditions a priest leads the service. In both Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, Sunday attendance is required of all members and is called a "holy day of obligation."
There are two parts to the Eucharist or Divine Liturgy. The first part consists of hymns, prayers, Bible readings, and recitations of various teachings and prayers by the entire congregation. The second part is the actual celebration of the Last Supper, with the symbolic eating of a wafer and drinking of wine. Catholics also make the sign of the cross at various times during the service by placing the right hand to the forehead, to the breast and to the left shoulder and to the right shoulder, with the words: "In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen." Music and singing also forms a part of the mass.
A typical worship service in a Protestant church is led by a preacher or minister and focuses on a sermon or a teaching from the Bible. Some services are opened with prayers from the Bible. Though the Lord's Supper, also called communion, is part of Protestant worship, it is not necessarily a weekly matter. Some Protestant denominations observe it monthly; others, every three months. The congregation sings hymns together and recites prayers, such as the Lord's Prayer.
Rituals in Christianity
Rosary and Bible The main Christian rituals are the sacraments (See Worship Above and Sacraments Below). In addition to baptism and confirmation, rituals of initiation and rites of passage in Christianity include marriage and funeral practices. There is large variety of ceremonies for these things as well as for ordination to the priesthood or ministry. There are ceremonies for a Catholic priest's first Mass or the Protestant minister's first sermon. There are also rituals for entering a religious order, such as the 30-day retreat practiced by the Jesuits; and the vows for the monastic life or for religious sisters. [Source: Michael J. McClymond, “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices”, 2000s, Encyclopedia.com]
Michael J. McClymond wrote in the “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices”: Christianity is expressed in rituals as much as in theology or ethics. Rituals include the sacraments of the church and other simple and widespread actions. One is signing, or making the sign of the cross. The sign may have been used originally during baptism and then extended to other situations and modified to include the torso rather than the forehead alone. Orthodox Christians make the horizontal portion of the sign with a right to left movement, and Roman Catholics left to right. Signing occurs also among Anglicans and Lutherans. [Source: Michael J. McClymond, “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices”, 2000s, Encyclopedia.com]
Another simple ritual is closing the eyes and folding the hands for prayer. Pentecostals may stand during worship services and raise their hands into the air while singing and praying. The acts of kneeling or genuflecting (among Roman Catholics), bowing or prostrating (among Orthodox), processing and recessing in worship, pronouncing written prayers in unison, sprinkling holy water, anointing with oil, wearing a crucifix or medal that has been blessed, and dancing in worship are all Christian rituals. Evangelicals use an "altar call" for dedication or rededication to Christ, while Pentecostals may lay hands on a person during prayer and invoke God for healing, the casting out of demons, or the "baptism in the Holy Spirit." Certain Protestant groups practice foot washing. Christian rituals thus include actions that are not officially sacraments and may not have received much theological scrutiny or sanction.
A single ritual often has multiple meanings, and participants may perceive one meaning but not another. An infant baptism, for example, signifies the gift of divine grace, the child's incorporation into the church, a pledge by parents to raise the child in the faith, and a pledge by godparents and others to aid the parents. None of the major Christian rituals is limited to a single meaning.
Christian Prayers
Blessings are words of prayer offered by a priest or a religious figure to someone or something. They can also be simply asking someone to pray for someone. Parishioners go to their local church to receive blessings from a priest or preacher. Pilgrims venture to special churches or religious places to receive blessings there. In recent years some churches — such as the famous Basilica of the Annunciation in Jesus’s hometown of Nazareth — have begin offering blessings over the Internet. They fee is around $10 per prayer with the fee covering the system costs not the prayer, which is free.
According to the BBC: “Prayer is the means by which Christians communicate with their God. The New Testament records that Jesus taught his disciples how to pray and that he encouraged them to address God as Father. Christians believe that they continue this tradition. Sometimes the prayers are formal and part of a ritual laid down for hundreds of years. Others are personal and spontaneous, and come from personal or group need. “Whilst prayer is often directed to God as Father, as taught by Jesus, some traditions encourage prayer to God through intermediaries such as saints and martyrs. Prayers through Mary, as the mother of God, are central to some churches and form a traditional part of their worship. [Source: BBC, August 14, 2009]
Many Christian rituals were adopted from Judaism: 1) daily and weekly Christian worship are modeled on synagogue practices; 2) nonsecration of bread and wine is inspired by the Passover Seder; and 3) the four elements — prayer, psalmody, scripture reading and sermon — are all part of Jewish service. Jews have traditionally said grace before meal, a custom that was picked up and continued by Christians.
Many Christian symbols — crucifixes, rosaries, communion and holy water — can be traced back to the Egyptian Osiris cult. Osiris was a human who was resurrected as a god.
How To Do Christian Prayers Properly
El Greco's The Repentant Peter Prayers are a way in which the faithful communicate with God, either through praise, asking for help or mediating over scripture. Christian prayers are addressed to the Holy Trinity; God, Christ and the Holy Ghost and is regarded as a way to enter the trinity. Christians often kneel to express their humility. Prayers can be silent or spoken or chanted. Churches generally have an area set aside for prayers.
Prayers should ideally be made while standing (a sign of respect to God) delivered facing east (towards the rising sun, a symbol of the resurrected Christ). Sometimes the hands are held, for example, during the recitation of the Lord’s prayer, in mass. This is an ancient position found depicted in catacombs from the earliest Christian times. The custom of joining one’s hands together in prayer is a custom that evolving in the 9th century as a symbol of submission to god and an indication that the person praying wasn't carrying a weapon. The modern praying position was not mentioned in the Bible. Early Christians and Jews prayed by spreading their arms skyward.
The Lord's Prayer is one of the oldest prayers of the Christian Church. The Bible attributes it to Jesus himself, who taught it to his disciples. Versions of it appear in both the gospels of Matthew and Luke, and it continues to be used in most Christian denominations. Most Christian authorities consider it a central statement of belief. [Source: Encyclopedia.com]
The Lords Prayer from Matthew 6:19: “Our Lord in Heaven, Hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven, Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil."
See Gestures, Rosary Beads
Power and Limitation of Prayers
Candida Moss wrote in the Daily Beast: In the Bible, Daniel’s prayers in the lion’s den lead to his deliverance: he walks free and his accusers are ripped to shreds. Roman Catholics believe that praying for the dead (and, in fact, the prayers of the holy dead) can help bring about a person’s salvation. The miraculous power of prayer is something that Christians believe is real, and that belief should be respected even by those who do not share those beliefs. And, for the non-religious, there’s some data that praying is psychologically beneficial for people. [Source: Candida Moss, Daily Beast, August 11, 2019]
The truth of the matter is that even if miracles happen and prayer has miraculous (as well as psychological) benefits, it is simply bad theology to suggest that prayer alone can solve the problem of gun control. Petitionary prayers (prayers that ask for things) do not always deliver what a person wants. There are countless people who have faithfully prayed to God and not received the thing that they asked for. This isn’t just historically true, it’s theologically true. There are all number of reasons this is the case. In the first place, God might have other plans. So we might “ask” but not “receive” in the way that we expect or want. Arguably the best example of this is Jesus himself. According to the Gospel of Mark, in the Garden of Gethsemane, the night before his death, Jesus kneels down to pray and asks his “Abba (Father)” to allow “the cup” (i.e. death) to pass from him. It is what he wants, but Jesus recognizes that the outcome will be what his father wants. It’s an example of obedience. but it’s also a story about a frustrated request in which through prayer Jesus discerned what he was supposed to do. It’s an important example because otherwise people who pray and don’t receive help are led to believe that they are spiritually failing.
Then, there’s the question of free will. According to most Christian theology, God has given humanity free will to decide for ourselves. Thus, when it comes to human violence, prayer cannot reliably act as mind control that forces others to behave in a certain way. Professor Yujin Nagasawa, a philosopher at the University of Birmingham, U.K., and author of Miracles: A Very Short Introduction, told The Daily Beast “Many theists think that God gave us free will because freedom is intrinsically good. It seems unreasonable then to expect that God would answer petitionary prayers, especially if they require intervention in human affairs.”
In addition there’s a practical problem. Nagasawa told me, “Answering petitionary prayers regularly would also create more problems than it would solve. This point is illustrated in Jim Carrey's film Bruce Almighty, in which almighty Bruce tries to make people happy by answering “Yes” to all petitionary prayers. On the contrary, he causes all sorts of chaos in the world.” Even our pop culture sees the problem here.
Acknowledging that people don’t always get what they ask for doesn’t discredit Christianity or the power of prayer. But to say that prayer alone can eliminate violence is to wildly misunderstand how prayer works and hurtful to those who experience violence. As Henning told me, “the Santa Claus theology of prayer is not Christian theology.”
Prayers and Action Are Both Needed
Candida Moss wrote in the Daily Beast:This does not mean that, for committed Christians, thoughts and prayers are sufficient. The idea that prayer demands action has a biblical basis. We tend to assume that characters who pray also take steps to have their requests met. Dr. Meghan Henning, an assistant professor of religious studies at the University of Dayton, Ohio, said, “When we read the story of Hannah praying for a child are we to assume that she stopped having sex?” Similarly most Christians (though not all) combine prayer with medical treatment when ill. When it comes to rectifying injustice and evil in the world the Epistle of James quite explicitly demands that we act: “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, keep warm and eat your fill,’ and yet do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?” (James 2:14-16).
Both Pope Francis and the Dalai Lama agree. In a Sunday Angelus message in 2013, Francis said “Prayer that doesn't lead to concrete action toward our brothers is a fruitless and incomplete prayer… Prayer and action must always be profoundly united.” in 2018, the Dalai Lama tweeted that although he is a Buddhist monk he is “skeptical that prayers alone will achieve world peace. We need instead to be enthusiastic and self-confident in taking action.” [Source: Candida Moss, Daily Beast, August 11, 2019]
The necessity of both prayer and action are recognized by pro-life Christians who both pray to end abortion and seek to re-legislate Roe v. Wade. As John Fea wrote this week, the thoughts and prayers excuse simply would not fly in the case of abortion. Thus, the question is not, “are thoughts and prayers sufficient?” but rather “when does the loss of human life necessitate action?” Surely, for the conscientious Christian, the answer has to be “whenever it occurs.”
Daily Prayers in the 4th Century
Egeria, Etheroiua or Aetheria was a woman, widely regarded as the author of Peregrinatio (pilgrimage) – a detailed account of a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in the A.D. 380s — from which this description is from. Scholars believe she is either from Spain or Gaul (France).
Egeria wrote in the A.D. 380s: “ Now that your affection may know what is the order of service (operatio) day by day in the holy places, I must inform you, for I know that you would willingly have this knowledge. Every day before cockcrow all the doors of the Anastasis are opened, and all the monks and virgins, as they call them here, go thither, and not they alone, but lay people also, both men and women, who desire to begin their vigil early. And from that hour to daybreak hymns are said and psalms are sung responsively (responduntur), and antiphons in like manner; and prayer is made after each of the hymns. For priests, deacons, and monks in twos or threes take it in turn every day to say prayers after each of the hymns or antiphons. [Source: 1. Matins, “XXIV 1, “Egeria's Description of the Liturgical Year in Jerusalem” based on the translation reproduced in Louis Duchesme's Christian Worship (London, 1923), published online by Michael Fraser, Department of Theology, University of Durham. June 1994, users.ox.ac.uk ]
“2. But when day breaks they begin to say the Matin hymns. Thereupon the bishop arrives with the clergy, and immediately enters into the cave, and from within the rails (cancelli) he first says a prayer for all, mentioning the names of those whom he wishes to commemorate; he then blesses the catechumens, afterwards he says a prayer and blesses the faithful. And when the bishop comes out from within the rails, every one approaches his hand, and he blesses them one by one as he goes out, and the dismissal takes place, by daylight.
“2. Sext and None. 3. In like manner at the sixth hour all go again to the Anastasis, and psalms and antiphons are said, while the bishop is being summoned; then he comes as before, not taking his seat, but he enters at once within the rails in the Anastasis, that is in the cave, just as in the early morning, and as then, he again first says a prayer, then he blesses the faithful, and as he comes out from [within] the rails every one approaches his hand. And the same is done at the ninth hour as at the sixth.
“3. Vespers. 4. Now at the tenth hour, which they call here licinicon, or as we say lucernare, all the people assemble at the Anastasis in the same manner, and all the candles and tapers are lit, making a very great light. Now the light is not introduced from without, but it is brought forth from within the cave, that is from within the rails, where a lamp is always burning day and night, and the vesper psalms and antiphons are said, lasting for a considerable time. Then the bishop is summoned, and he comes and takes a raised seat, and likewise the priests sit in their proper places, and hymns and antiphons are said.
“5. And when all these have been recited according to custom, the bishop rises and stands before the rails, that is, before the cave, and one of the deacons makes the customary commemoration of individuals one by one. And as the deacon pronounces each name the many little boys who are always standing by, answer with countless voices: Kyrie eleyson, or as we say Miserere Domine.
“6. And when the deacon has finished all that he has to say, first the bishop says a prayer and prays for all, then they all pray, both the faithful and catechumens together. Again the deacon raises his voice, bidding each catechumen to bow his head where he stands, and the bishop stands and says the blessing over the catechumens. Again prayer is made, and again the deacon raises his voice and bids the faithful, each where he stands, to bow the head, and the bishop likewise blesses the faithful. Thus the dismissal takes place at the Anastasis.
“7. And one by one all draw near to the bishop's hand. Afterwards the bishop is conducted from the Anastasis to the Cross [with] hymns, all the people accompanying him, and when he arrives he first says a prayer, then he blesses the catechumens, then another prayer is said and he blesses the faithful. Thereupon both the bishop and the whole multitude further proceed behind the Cross, where all that was done before the Cross is repeated, and they approach the hand of the bishop behind the Cross as they did at the Anastasis and before the Cross. Moreover, there are hanging everywhere a vast number of great glass chandeliers, and there are also a vast number of cereofala, before the Anastasis, before the Cross and behind the Cross, for the whole does not end until darkness has set in. This is the order of daily services (operatio) at the Cross and at the Anastasis throughout the six days.
Sunday Prayers in the 4th Century
“8. But on the seventh day, that is on the Lord's Day, the whole multitude assembles before cockcrow, in as great numbers as the place can hold, as at Easter, in the basilica which is near the Anastasis, but outside the doors, where lights are hanging for the purpose. And for fear that they should not be there at cockcrow they come beforehand and sit down there. Hymns as well as antiphons are said, and prayers are made between the several hymns and antiphons, for at the vigils there are always both priests and deacons ready there for the assembling of the multitude, the custom being that the holy places are not opened before cockcrow. [Source: 1. Matins, “XXIV 1, “Egeria's Description of the Liturgical Year in Jerusalem” based on the translation reproduced in Louis Duchesme's Christian Worship (London, 1923), published online by Michael Fraser, Department of Theology, University of Durham. June 1994, users.ox.ac.uk ]
“9. Now as soon as the first cock has crowed, the bishop arrives and enters the cave at the Anastasis; all the doors are opened and the whole multitude enters the Anastasis, where countless lights are already burning. And when the people have entered, one of the priests says a psalm to which all respond, and afterwards prayer is made; then one of the deacons says a psalm and prayer is again made, a third psalm is said by one of the clergy, prayer is made for the third time and there is a commemoration of all.
“10. After these three psalms and three prayers are ended, lo! censers are brought into the cave of the Anastasis so that the whole basilica of the Anastasis is filled with odours. And then the bishop, standing within the rails, takes the book of the Gospel, and proceeding to the door, himself reads the (narrative of the) Resurrection of the Lord. And when the reading is begun, there is so great a moaning and groaning among all, with so many tears, that the hardest of heart might be moved to tears for that the Lord had borne such things for us.
“11. After the reading of the Gospel the bishop goes out, and is accompanied to the Cross by all the people with hymns, there again a psalm is said an(l prayer is made, after which he blesses the faithful and the dismissal takes place, and as he comes out all approach to his hand.
“12. And forthwith the bishop betakes himself to his house, and from that hour all the monks return to the Anastasis, where psalms and antiphons, with prayer after each psalm or antiphon, are said until daylight; the priests and deacons also keep watch in turn daily at the Anastasis with the people, but of the lay people, whether men or women, those who are so minded, remain in the place until daybreak, and those who are not, return to their houses and betake themselves to sleep.”
Circumcision
Abraham and Ishmael being circumcised
Circumcision is something that is associated more with Judaism and Islam because it reenacts the covenant (promise) between Abraham and God. It is also practiced by many Christians, and for that matter people of other religions. Often it has no religious significance but rather that is done because it is thought to be healthy and hygienic. See Judaism.
According to the BBC: In the Old Testament circumcision is clearly defined as a covenant between God and all Jewish males. Circumcision is not laid down as a requirement in the New Testament. Instead, Christians are urged to be "circumcised of the heart" by trusting in Jesus and his sacrifice on the cross. As a Jew, Jesus was himself circumcised (Luke 2:21; Colossians 2:11-12). However, circumcision was a big issue in the early Christian Church. Adult Greeks, in particular, who converted to Christianity were unwilling to undergo the painful operation. |::|
“The ritual was not enforced amongst non-Jewish converts and circumcision was even seen by some as being contrary to the Christian faith. It became a sign of separation between circumcised Jews and new adherents of Christianity. The issue was debated in the Didache, one of the earliest Christian documents discovered.
See Separate Article CIRCUMCISION africame.factsanddetails.com
Christian Liturgy
Saint John Chrysostom, who lived in the early 4th century, is the father of the liturgy that is still used in both the Catholic and the Orthodox church. The Liturgy of the Hours is a set of daily prayers also widely used in mass. It consists primarily of psalms supplemented by hymns and scripture readings. The liturgy of the Word, the first part of the mass, consists mostly of readings from the Bible, with the most important passages coming from the Gospels.
The primary sources of liturgy are: 1) liturgical tags, catch-phrases, and affirmations found in the New Testament and to a lesser degree in the Old Testament; 2) baptisms and Eucharist introductions and declarations; 3) easy-to-remember religious creeds that serve as a way of making doctrines and dogma palatable to ordinary people.
Dom Robert L Gall, Abbot of Kergonan, wrote in “Symbols of Catholicism” that the Catholic liturgy is like a “a symphony: each instrument is an essential element of the overall work, playing its own part and displaying it to the full...Even though Christianity cannot be said to be choreographed, it nevertheless implies precise organization of the movement of its various participants. It’s ceremonial side is a necessity, so that the liturgical rites can take place in absolute peace and communicate a sensation of sacredness to the faithful.”
Roman Catholic liturgy is extremely biblical, perhaps even more than the liturgy of the eastern Orthodox Christian churches, where large numbers of long prayers are still inspired by Scriptures. Orthodox Christians regard the liturgy as the essence of Orthodoxy. And the focal point of this is the Eucharist. The living and the dead are regarded as single congregation. Liturgical action and prayers sanctify both their soul and their bodies.
Catholics observe their liturgy in three cycles: 1) Hours (made up of prayers, psalms and readings, which sanctify various movements of the day and include Vespers at the end of the afternoon); 2) the Weekly Cycle, which starts with Sunday mass, with Friday, the day that Christ, died, being a day of penance; and 3) the yearly cycle which includes several liturgical moments such the festivals of the saints and cycles of Christmas and Easter.
Christian Sacraments
The most important Christian rituals are the seven sacraments: 1) baptism; 2) the Eucharist (communion, taking of bread and wine to commemorate Jesus's Last Supper); 3) confirmation (formal acceptance of a person into the church); 4) penance and confession (during which sins are confessed and forgiven); 5) marriage; 6) extreme unction (anointing the sick with oil, a rite that is meant to give spiritual comfort to the sick and dying); and 7) ordination (taking holy orders to become a bishop, priest, or deacon of the church).
These sacraments are still recognized by the Catholic Church (and mostly by the Orthodox church) but have been rejected, with the exception of baptism and communion, by the Protestant church. There are other sacraments in the Orthodox church but these are not regarded as important as the seven previously mentioned ones. In general, Protestants have fewer ceremonies and rites than Catholics and Orthodox Christians.
Baptism and Eucharist are the central rituals of Christianity and churches were established in part to conduct them. Baptism is something that is performed once and lasts for life. Eucharist is something repeated by the community as a whole as a means of bonding a community and reaffirming their faith.
The three sacraments of baptism, confirmation and Eucharist are regarded as necessary to complete the Christian initiation. Baptism makes the believer a son of God and washes away original sin while Confirmations invests him with the Holy Spirit. In the old days they were received together during a single ceremony, often performed around Easter and was seen as the introduction of a “neophyte” into the “divine” mysteries of the church.
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Sacraments, Ordination by Nicolas Poussin (1647)
All the sacraments are carried out so they ascribe to the concept of an individual as being part of a community rather than something onto himself or herself. The church itself is regarded as a source of sanctification and blessing for all aspects of life. In the Orthodox Christian church,a great effort has been made to preserve the material elements of the sacraments. Orthodox Christians look down attempts by the Catholic church to minimize the material side of the sacraments such as pouring water rather than using immersion in baptism and using unleavened rather than leavened bread in the Eucharist.
See Separate Article: CHRISTIAN SACRAMENTS europe.factsanddetails.com
Image Sources: Wikimedia, Commons
Text Sources: Internet Sourcebook sourcebooks.fordham.edu ; “World Religions” edited by Geoffrey Parrinder (Facts on File); “ Encyclopedia of the World’s Religions” edited by R.C. Zaehner (Barnes & Noble Books, 1959); King James Version of the Bible, gutenberg.org; New International Version (NIV) of The Bible, biblegateway.com; Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ccel.org , Frontline, PBS, Wikipedia, BBC, National Geographic, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, The New Yorker, Time, Live Science, Encyclopedia.com, Archaeology magazine, Reuters, Associated Press, Business Insider, AFP, Library of Congress, Lonely Planet Guides, Compton’s Encyclopedia and various books and other publications.
Last updated March 2024